HOCKEY

HOCKEY; His Scoring Belittled, Kovalev Gets Revenge

By JOE LAPOINTE

Published: November 28, 1998

PITTSBURGH, Nov. 27—
After he traded Aleksei Kovalev to the Penguins earlier this week, Rangers General Manager Neil Smith said that Kovalev had not yet learned in seven seasons that the object of hockey was to score goals, even though Kovalev had scored at least 20 in four different seasons.

Kovalev did not score tonight in his first game against his old team, but he assisted on both Pittsburgh goals, including the one that tied the game with 15 seconds remaining in regulation, as the Rangers and Penguins settled for a 2-2 tie in Civic Arena.

Petr Nedved, the other main figure in the multiplayer deal, set up the Ranger goal that seemed as if it would be the game winner. But Kovalev ruined that in the final minute when Pittsburgh pulled goalie Tom Barrasso for an extra attacker.

Drawing two Rangers toward him as he controlled the puck, Kovalev passed to Robert Lang, who beat goalie Mike Richter high on the glove side with a long wrist shot.

Afterward, Kovalev was asked about the comments by Smith, who made Kovalev the first Russian player ever chosen in the first round of the National Hockey League draft when he selected him in 1991.

''I don't want to prove anything,'' Kovalev said. ''I'm just worried about the team and making some points. I'm really hoping to be consistent. I want to succeed.''

Kovalev also said that trades were a part of life in the N.H.L. and that -- who knows? -- he might someday be a Ranger again. That is the case with Nedved, who is in his second tour of duty with the Rangers.

Nedved, who had been playing with Las Vegas of the International League because of a contract impasse with the Penguins, was booed frequently by the capacity crowd and was thumped hard early by Pittsburgh defenseman Darius Kasparaitis. ''Obviously, it wasn't just a regular game,'' said Nedved, who missed the entire 1997-98 N.H.L. season because of the contract dispute. ''It was a special game for me.'' Of the collision with Kasparaitis, Nedved said: 'Good, clean hit. A big hit. I had my head down.''

When asked if the booing bothered him, Nedved replied: ''Not at all. To be honest, I was expecting a little bit more. If the same thing happened in some other places, it would have been worse.''

Nedved set up John MacLean at 15 minutes 44 seconds of the second period when the Rangers had a two-man advantage. Earlier, Brian Leetch had given the Rangers a 1-0 lead at 4 minutes 2 seconds of the first period when he scored on a slap shot that was set up by Wayne Gretzky.

When Kovalev helped set up Aleksei Morozov's tying goal at 10:06 of the second period, the Rangers argued that it was illegal because Lang was in Richter's crease. The officials told the Rangers, however, that Lang had been pushed there by Ranger players, a contention emphatically disputed by Coach John Muckler and defensemen Peter Popovic and Mathieu Schneider.

This was the last of a five-game road trip for the Rangers, who return home on Sunday to play the expansion Nashville Predators. The Rangers finished the trip with a record of 1-2-2. It was the second tie between Pittsburgh and the Rangers in two games this season.

In goal for the Rangers was Richter, making his first appearance in more than a week. The backup goalie, Dan Cloutier, played the previous three games and went 1-1-1.

The Kovalev trade was made on Wednesday. The Rangers also sent center Harry York and $2.5 million to the Penguins for Nedved, defenseman Chris Tamer and center Sean Pronger. Nedved missed the 1997-98 National Hockey League season in a contract dispute and was playing this season for Las Vegas of the International League.

Before tonight's game, the Rangers announced another trade. They sent forward Bill Berg and a second-round draft choice in 1999 to Ottawa for defenseman Stanislav Neckar. Berg is a veteran who has been playing with the Hartford farm club. Neckar, 22, has missed the last 14 games with a broken bone in his foot but has resumed skating. He is 6 feet 1 inch and 212 pounds. Like Nedved, he is from the Czech Republic.

With the additions of Tamer and Neckar, the Rangers have eight experienced defensemen. In addition, they have two in Hartford -- Jeff Finley and Geoff Smith -- who have played this season on the Rangers. Smith was demoted today. Another defenseman with N.H.L. experience, Eric Cairns, recently signed his contract and joined the Wolf Pack.

This stockpile of 11 defensemen might suggest that another trade, perhaps for a forward, is possible. Smith, the general manager, has expressed interest in Pavel Bure, the Vancouver star who has refused to report to the Canucks this season and has demanded a trade. Also available at the same position, right wing, is Theoren Fleury of Calgary.

Kovalev reinjured his shoulder last Saturday night in a 2-2 tie at San Jose, his last appearance as a Ranger. Although he finished that game, it was obvious by his play after the collision that he was not in top form. Kovalev was not with the Penguins on Wednesday night when they played at Washington, Kovalev's first game with Pittsburgh.

Photo: Darius Kasparaitis (11) of the Pittsburgh Penguins slammed into Peter Popovic of the Rangers along the boards early in the first period last night. (Associated Press)